Ching Tseng, Principal (曾意晴 / 協理)

Ching is a Principal leading the Web3 Arm at AppWorks. Ching interned at AppWorks when she was in college and returned as an Analyst after earning her B.B.A from National Chengchi University in 2015. Her keystone achievement as an Analyst was helping CHOCO TV’s journey from Series A to an eventual acquisition by LINE. Ching became our Associate in 2019, spearheading our foray into the blockchain industry by recruiting founders active in the space and effectively jumpstarting our web3 ecosystem, which has since grown into a thriving community. She’s also helped AppWorks participate in several prominent investments, including Dapper Labs / Flow, Animoca Brands, and Blocto. Ching was promoted to Principal in 2022. Off the clock, she likes to experience new things, travel, and drive in the mountains.

(漢文在下) It’s somewhat awkward to write a self-intro after joining AppWorks for almost seven years. To be frank, I probably wouldn’t have much to share if I had written this introduction in 2015. Back then, I had just graduated from college and was too fresh to tell you a good story. Over the past seven years, I connected a lot of “dots” and I can finally form it into a shape and share more about myself with you now.

My career path seems quite simple, but in fact is remarkable in its simplicity. I am someone who started as an intern at AppWorks and then became a full-time Analyst right after college. Gradually, I was promoted to Associate and now Principal. You might think my career path was “planned” and that I had a very clear goal since the beginning. Here’s the real story: 

When I was 20, I happened to see AppWorks while scrolling through Facebook and the intern recruitment post “looks rare”. Back then, I had a limited understanding about entrepreneurship and startups. My intuition led me to apply for the role. On the first day stepping into the AppWorks office, I found that I really connected with these offbeat and alien-like founders and wanted to help support them on their founder journeys.

A lot of people like to ask me: “How can you stay at AppWorks this long?” The only answer is: “It’s fun.” Jamie, the founding partner of AppWorks, once told me that I’m probably in the 99th percentile in terms of curiosity. Yes, I believe I am! If you have ever used my YouTube account then you can understand. My YouTube feed includes F1, dramas, aircraft, gaming, tech, musical instruments, and many other topics. Perhaps half of my life was spent on googling things that I didn’t need to know but wanted to know. AppWorks is a place full of unknown things and a company that’s always trying to embark on seemingly impossible missions. That’s why this place has retained someone like me who gets bored easily for so long. 

Over the past seven years serving AppWorks, I’ve seen many successful startups as well as some that didn’t quite make it. I count myself lucky as the company I joined became bigger as I aged a little bit. Most importantly, this journey has brought me a lot of friends that have battled side-by-side with me. 

I enjoy the time spent with founders; from brainstorming new business strategies and sorting out suitable fundraising structures, to sharing thoughts about the latest information and internet trends. 

As time flew by, our company grew a lot, and our mission became bigger. On the other hand, our North Star remains the same – making Taiwan a better place by helping founders to become better founders. To get there, we have accelerated institutionalization efforts at our firm, and within that plan, I became a Principal leading the web3 arm.

I believe in the beauty of blockchain and the impact protocols/DAOs/companies can bring to human society. Luckily, I can not only be an observer but also a participant together with web3 founders. This excitement was something I couldn’t feel when doing things in the web2/app era. If you are building on the blockchain, I’m ready to know more about your vision.

加入公司 7 年後才開始跟大家做自我介紹，是一件頗為弔詭的事情。但回頭想如果要我在 2015 年剛加入 AppWorks 時寫篇自我介紹文，可能也沒太多故事可以跟你分享，當時的我，也就是一個單純剛從大學畢業的菜鳥。在這過去 7 年來，我經歷了一些事情，也許終於可以跟大家分享關於我的一些事了。

往回看我的職涯，看起來很簡單但好像也蠻激勵人的。從一個負責打雜的 Intern、畢業後加入 AppWorks 成為正職的 Analyst，在 2019 年成為 Associate，接著在今年初成為了 Ｗeb3 Arm Principal。許多人以為這是我規劃好的職涯，又或者以為我心中有一個明確的職涯目標，讓我來分享一下這背後真正的故事。

當我 20 歲時，對於創業、新創還沒什麼概念，颱風夜沒事的我滑著手機，看到 AppWorks 正在招募 Intern，本來沒有打算要找 Internship 的我，突然覺得這篇貼文「挺特別」的。直覺告訴我：「你該去申請看看。」而後在我第一天踏入 AppWorks 的辦公室時，這群奇特的「創業者」深深的吸引我了。

很多人問過我，為何會在 AppWorks 待這麼多年。唯一不變的答案大概是：挺好玩的！Jamie 曾經說過我可能是 PR 99 的好奇寶寶。沒錯，如果你曾經用過我的 YouTube 帳號，你可能就會理解到為什麼。打開我的  YouTube，追蹤的頻道從 F1、飛機、遊戲、科技、戲劇、音樂等各種頻道都有。我的人生應該花了絕大多數的時間搜尋我不需要知道，但是我想要知道的資訊。

AppWorks 就是能得到許多未知的事情的地方，同時也是一間一直想要嘗試做一些不可能的任務的公司。這也是為何容易對事情感到無聊的我，能夠在這裡待上這麼久。

在這幾年陪伴與投資創業者的過程中，我看了許多成功的案例，同時也有許多結果不如人意。我想我是相對幸運的那一個，在我年齡增加過程中，AppWorks 這間公司也一起長大了。同時，這段旅程也讓我結交了許多一起經歷挑戰的戰友們，有些來掛「急診」的創業者，他們拿到了隔天、甚至當晚就要馬上回覆的併購機會，想跟我討論一下該不該接受，要注意哪些事情。在多數與創業者相處的這些夜晚裡，我是非常享受的，無論是一起煩惱公司的策略、討論募資的結構，又或者單純分享彼此對於業界最新消息的想法。

雖然公司想要挑戰的任務也越來越艱難，但與此同時 AppWorks 的北極星從來沒改變過，依舊透過幫助創業者讓台灣變成一個更好的地方。為了把這件事情做得更好，我們無法再像游擊隊一樣到處作戰，也得變成一支更有組織與戰法的正規軍。而我在這個計畫中，也變成了要帶領 Web3 領域的 Principal。

我真心喜歡並且相信 Blockchain 以及在這個圈子裡的組織們，能為人類社會帶來的改變。這次，也許我又是幸運的那一個人，能夠不只見證這一切改變的發生，同時也能與 Ｗeb3 的創業者一起參與其中。這種興奮感是比過去看著 Founder 們把產品與團隊逐漸建立起來，最終得到一個好結果還要更強烈的。如果你正在 Blockchain 上打造新產品，我非常期待聽聽你的計畫與目標！

Michelle Lin, Associate (林亭㚬 / 投資經理)

Michelle is an Associate covering AppWorks Accelerator and investments. Before joining the team, she worked as an assistant manager at Deloitte Financial Advisory, where she helped close various cross-border and local M&A deals successfully. Michelle graduated with a Bachelor’s in Accounting from National Taiwan University and received a Master of Management Studies Degree from Duke University. During college, she was the minister of student activities at College of Management Student Association and was active at the Pop Dance Club. Outside the office, she enjoys hiking amongst many outdoor activities, as well as exploring new things in life.

#EnglishBelow

加入 AppWorks 前？ 

在加入 AppWorks 前，我在 Deloitte Financial Adviosory 服務了 4 年多，參與過跨國製藥企業的組織重組及合資案、各式金融業併購案、台灣上市櫃企業公開收購案等。

我擔任過買方和賣方顧問，學習以不同的視角分析併購策略、設計條款、協助客戶進行談判。例如站在賣方的立場，希望打拚十幾年的事業能以合理價格出售；又或是站在買方的立場平衡風險和效益，協助管理階層說服董事會進行收購。日常工作就是分析財報、進入充滿上百個檔案的 Data Room 裡，大海撈針找到對交易案有影響的資訊，在買賣雙方間搭起有效的溝通橋樑，進一步促成交易。

為什麼想加入新創圈？

我的父親是位創業者，小時候的記憶就是每天放學和寒暑假都會到他的公司，那裡有許多和藹可親的叔叔阿姨們。和大多數的創業者一樣，父親總是很忙碌，思考著如何運用手上的資源打造更好的產品，常常週末一通電話就馬上出發到南部找供應商、客戶，和研發部門開會。創業的途中，父親從電腦代工，Pivot 到醫療器材研發、設計及製造，公司也從員工不到 10 人成長到 80 人。其中經歷了在 SARS 疫情期間，父親因為將公司的額溫槍，優先提供給台灣政府導致被國外客戶控吿 (但也同時成為抗疫英雄)，直到後來上市出場。長大後父親與我分享當初創業的過程，他說一直以來其實沒有想太多，只想把當下的事情做對，確保員工和家人能好好生活。

父親這份創業過程的酸甜苦辣陪伴著我長大。我了解到創業者的辛苦和孤獨，更敬佩創業者骨子裡想把事情做對做好的精神，因此萌生加入新創圈的念頭，希望自己不論是透過加速器或是創投投資，陪伴創業者，參與眾多不凡的故事。

除了工作，我還會？

我很喜歡爬山！很多人問為什麼？除了想要親自體會台灣這片土地的美，爬山更讓我真正認識自己、陪伴自己，激發更多的潛能。

登山的過程很累，3 至 4 天的旅途，要背著 11~15 公斤的裝備，一天步行約 8~10 公里，向上爬升 1,000 公尺左右，翻過一個個山頭才會抵達目的地。路途中會遇到各式的地形，有樹林、碎石坡、斷崖、溪流等，有時崎嶇有時溼滑，每一段陡坡、緩坡、高繞各有特色，這些未知和驚喜激發了我的好奇心，讓我努力想走下去，揭曉接下來每一段路會有的驚喜。

也正因為如此長途跋涉，才有機會和自己對話。

登山過程有時候也會遇到難以克服的困難，例如高山症發作，頭痛欲裂想吐；遇到冰雹來不及穿雨衣、搭營導致全部衣物濕掉，入夜全身冷得瑟瑟發抖；下山沒有調整好步伐，高估自己的肌力導致膝蓋急性發炎積水，深怕無法即時下山。面對每一次困難，我學習不斷與自我對話，提醒自己做得到，冷靜思考怎麼做更好，擬定配套措施，並時時調整呼吸、調整步伐，專注於自己的身體去克服困難。面臨挑戰的過程中，相信自己及面對自己才能超越自己。

對我來說，不管登山、創業或著人生，漫漫旅途中，充滿著許多艱鉅和意想不到的挑戰，但我期許自己像眾多創業者一樣，披荊斬棘，只為在黑暗中找尋迎接山頂日出的路。我是 Michelle，歡迎創業者們來和我聊聊，希望過去擔任財務顧問的專業能幫助到你，有機會也一起爬山吧！

Before AppWorks?

Before joining AppWorks, I worked at Deloitte Financial Advisory for over four years. I helped close various deals, including cross-border reorganization and joint venture deals for pharmaceutical companies, financial institution M&A, and tender offers of publicly-listed companies.  

Having the chance to work both buy-side and sell-side on different deals, I learned to analyze things from different perspectives, design terms/ea, and assist clients in negotiation. Sometimes I put myself in the seller’s shoes, persuading the buyer to purchase the company at a reasonable price as the seller put all their efforts into the business for decades. Sometimes I switch roles to think from the buyers’ perspective, balancing risks and benefits and assisting management in persuading the board to proceed with an acquisition. 

My daily tasks included analyzing financial reports and searching for every piece of information that might have an impact on the transaction in the data room across hundreds of files. I helped build an effective bridge between the buyer and seller and further facilitate the transaction.

Why did I join the startup community?

My father was an entrepreneur. When I was little, I stayed at my father’s company office most of the time. I witnessed all the ups and downs my father had gone through as a founder. I realized how difficult it is to establish a successful company and be responsible to the employees.

Like most founders, my father was always thinking about how to optimize resources on hand to build better products. Pivoting from computer ODM/OEM company to a biotech company that designed and manufactured ear thermometers, he started his company with less than 10 employees and grew further to around 80 employees. Luckily, he exited the company through IPO and further M&A. Things did not always come smoothly. I clearly remember during the SARS epidemic, my father provided forehead thermometers to the Taiwanese government prior to foreign clients, causing him to be sued by foreign clients (but also became an anti-epidemic hero). He also overcame the departure of a partner who collaborated with him  over years with trust but later made false accusations against my father in court. 

As I grew up, my father was more willing to share his founder journey. He said that he never overthinks. He just wanted to do the right things and ensure that employees and their families could live a good life.

I admire the spirit of entrepreneurs who always want to do the right thing and build great products. Encouraged by my father’s story, I wanted to pursue a career in the startup community. Either through accelerator or venture capital investment, I hope to accompany founders and join their extraordinary founder journey to inspire myself and others. 

What do you do outside of work?

I love hiking, especially hiking in Baiyue! Many people ask me why I like hiking in Baiyue so much. Besides enjoying experiencing the beauty of Taiwan in-person, hiking in Baiyue allows me to know myself better in terms of my weaknesses and potential. The long journey also allows me to talk and listen to myself and reflect.

Hiking in Baiyue can be very tiring. During the three to four day journey, we usually carried 11-to-15 kilograms of backpacking equipment, walked around 8-to-10 kilometers a day, and covered around 1,000m of elevation. We hiked hills over hills to reach the destination. 

During the trek, I often encounter various terrain, such as wooded areas, scree slopes, cliffs, and streams. Sometimes the path is rugged and sometimes it’s slippery. Each steep slope, gentle slope, and winding road has its own characteristics. I am drawn to these unknowns and always curious about what kind of surprises it will reveal ahead. This keeps me moving on no matter how tiring it is. 

There are insurmountable challenges during the trek as well such as experiencing altitude sickness with symptoms of headaches and nausea; unable to put on my raincoat and set up the tent in time before all of my clothes got wet amid a downpour. My whole body was shivering at night; I had failed to adjust my pace and overestimated my stamina, causing an acute inflammation and fluid in my knee. I was so scared that I could not get back to the trailhead in time. 

When facing these obstacles, I keep talking to myself, remind myself that I can do it, stay calm and think about alternative plans and how to make it better. I adjust my breathing and pace from time to time, and focus on my body to overcome challenges. I believe that facing yourself and believing in yourself is the true factor to surpass yourself through adversity. 

For me, either entrepreneurship or life is somewhat like trekking in that it is full of unexpected challenges. Along this journey, we are all searching in the dark to embrace the sunrise at the peak. I’m Michelle. Welcome to chat with me and if you have the chance, let’s go trekking together~

Anne Chen, Investor Relations Director (陳祈安 / 投資人關係協理)

Anne takes care of investor relationships for AppWorks Funds. She brings to AppWorks four years of experience at DBS, where she specialized in institutional banking relationships as a management associate and excelled at financial planning for both public and private companies as well as founders. Before that, while in college, she interned at AppWorks. Anne graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from National Taiwan University. She enjoys cooking, taking care of succulents and long walks on the beach.

(English Below) 在 AppWorks 快 3 年，是個很好的回顧時間。

與 AppWorks 的緣分可以追溯到 2013 年，約略是 AppWorks 紀元裡古生代的實習生，當時參與了加速器、接觸一點募資，懵懂間大概認識了創投前端和後台的樣貌。從台大財金系畢業後，我去了商業銀行企業金融繞了一圈，學習在授信的世界，取得風險與收入的平衡，開發業務累積臉皮的厚度，學習如何經營關係，學習獨當一面。

在銀行一繞就是 4 年多，對我來說，擔任企業金融的 RM (Relationship Manager) 本質上非常有趣，我的客戶橫跨 PCB 設備製造廠、紡織業、化學貿易業、鋼鐵業、客運業。要讓一段客戶關係發展成相依互利，就必須深入瞭解產業，而一個好的 RM 會成長為各產業的專家，幫助客戶從金融的角度解決問題。

至於為什麼選擇銀行作為職涯的起點？我有時候覺得自己唸錯科系，某些方面的我是很隨性的，有點藝術家、偏左派、需要創作的人格，居然去唸了財金系這種多數人認為充滿銅臭味的科系。高中的我在想什麼已不可考，但大學畢業要踏入社會時，我的初心其實是很美好的：我想用自己的所學幫助企業成長，因為企業是一切的活水。

這個單純到有點愚蠢的初衷，帶著我去了商業銀行。4 年後，發現大企業的資源實在是多到滿出來，少一個 Anne 真的沒差；但創業者的資源是相對少的，而我也是很需要使命感的人，所以這個想法又引領我回到 AppWorks，開始扛起投資人關係，也是另一種 RM (Relationship Management)。

有趣的是，AppWorks 是一間 KPI 開宗明義要 Make Taiwan Better & Do Everything Founder First 的公司，讓我可以繼續保留美好的信念前行。從實習生時代接觸募資，到以正職身份加入，負責打點 AppWorks 投資人關係以及創投基金事務，回頭看總覺得這是一段很奇妙的旅程，人生中幾個看似隨機的點點們，似乎逐漸連結起來，成為一條有跡可循的道路。

可是，投資人關係到底是什麼？！

作為 AppWorks 數一數二神秘的職位，創業者最常問我：投資人關係在做什麼？總結來說：AppWorks 管理的創投基金由許多投資人投入，只要是跟投資人相關的事都跟我的團隊有關，從基金募集、架構設計、基金行政、投資人的各種需求 (想認識加速器的新創、想問基金 / 投資案狀況、想從 AppWorks School 找人才、想來 AppWorks 找 Anne 喝咖啡等等諸如此類)，都是我的守備範圍。

關於 Anne 的一些瑣事：

• 作為一個腦子停不下來的人，每年我總會選擇一座山來攀登，這是我的 Reset Button。在山上資源很有限，乾淨的飲水、一餐熱食、隱蔽的廁所，都彌足珍貴，山下的欲望跟種種看似十萬火急的事情，總被拋到九霄雲外，因為手機沒有訊號。
• 全家都在航空業，但被問到家人飛去哪個國家，會被考倒。
• 逛菜市場的熱情 > 百貨公司，下廚是消遣。

對投資人及企業關係、基金架構有興趣的夥伴，歡迎隨時找我聊聊！

My journey with AppWorks dates back to 2013, when I was one of the earliest batches of interns. Back then, AppWorks itself had a lean and humble origin, and I always believed my role was important, even as an intern. Eventually I had the opportunity to participate in AppWorks Fund II raising at the end of my internship, that was one of the earliest memories I had with AppWorks. 

After graduating from the Finance Department of National Taiwan University, I started my career as a relationship manager in institutional banking. I thought this was a detour as I always felt something was missing, but it was indeed an interesting one. My client base spanned across a variety of industries, including PCB manufacturing machines, textiles, chemical trading, transportation, and more. For a relationship manager, the most important thing is to create value for your clients, and in this highly competitive market, sometimes you need to lean in to capture opportunities. All in all I would like to think this experience made me a fearless person, I was no longer the 22 year-old girl I used to be after the journey.

As to why I chose banking as the starting point of my career, it was very simple. I wanted to leverage my knowledge to create value for corporations, as I thought they are the key to spinning the flywheel of society. This simple purpose took me to banking, and after four years, realizing that the founders of startups are in serious need of more resources, it took me back to AppWorks, where I became responsible for Investor Relations of the firm. With Fund III closing and new funds on the horizon, everyday I feel passionate and excited to bring more value to the ecosystem, I am finally in the right place at the right time. 

Being an artistic person, somewhat progressive, and needs constant creative stimulation, somehow the 18-year old me chose Finance as my major, which to this day is an unsolved mystery. Whenever I made key decisions in my life, I always picture multiverses being created at that very moment, my life became completely different. Re-joining AppWorks was definitely a multiverse-creating event on my timeline, only this time, all the random dots seem to connect on this journey, and looking back, everything makes perfect sense. 

But what exactly does Investor Relations do?

As one of the most mysterious positions at AppWorks, the easiest way to explain what I do is – I am responsible for everything related to the investors of our funds! From fundraising, fund structuring, administration, every request from our dearest investors, I take care of these.

Some random things about me:

• Mountain trekking is my reset button, where I view the basic aspects from a different perspective. Who needs fancy handbags when you can have a safe, clean shelter.
• My whole family is in the aviation business. Most of the time I don’t know where they are. 
• Cooking is a way to clear my mind. I am always excited to talk about food. 

If you are interested in investor relations, fund structuring etc., come grab a coffee with me!

Dave Liu, Associate (劉大維 / 投資經理)

Dave is an Associate on the accelerator & investments team. He joined AppWorks in 2022 with over 15 years of equity, ETF and derivatives trading and investment experiences. Before that, he managed his own investment house while at the same time he served as the head of investment at a fintech startup, TRUBUZZ, where he was first exposed to the excitement of a 0-to-1 journey. Prior to that, he worked as a derivative/strategy trader at KGI Securities and T3 Trading Group in New York. Dave received an MS in Financial Engineering from the University of Connecticut, and both an MS in Optoelectronics/Photonics and a BS in Engineering Science from National Taiwan University. Complementing his analytical nature, Dave is an avid fan of psychology and enjoys listening to others’ life stories, while also relishing basketball, skiing, and hiking in his spare time.

(English Below) 我是誰，取決於我的價值觀，與跟這個世界的連結。

價值觀

我的人生軌跡一直受 Steve Jobs 的幾句話牽絆著：

• Don’t limit your boundaries, always keep an open mind to the world.

你無法預先把現在發生的點點滴滴串聯起來，只有在未來回顧時，才會明白這些看似不相關的點是如何連成一條線，所以必須相信，過去與現在的人生軌跡，會在未來造就更進化的你。必須去相信你的直覺也好、命運也行，或甚至是因緣。這樣的方式從來沒有讓我失望，而是造就了我的生命更加與眾不同。

•  Find something you truly love, this is where you’ll shine.

工作會佔據人生很大一部份，如果要對人生滿意，就要去做自己覺得很棒的事。而要成就偉大的事之前，必須先熱愛你正在做的工作。如果還沒找到想做的事，就繼續找，千萬別屈就於自己不喜歡的事。用盡所有心力去找，會找到的。

•  In our limited lifetime, there are abundant things to experience.

如果你專注地做一件事情而且結果相當不錯，不應該沈浸在這樣的喜悅太久，而該繼續去投入到下一件很棒的事情，開啟新的體驗。

從這三個價值觀開始，我開始了人生體驗：持續嘗試、努力、體悟。

我與這個世界的連結

從小就特立獨行，不想走大家都走的路。或許是對這世界的好奇，盡可能地去體驗新的感受，去學習的新的事物，去接觸這大到可以容納千奇百怪事物的世界。因為生命與時間很有限，期望在每一個當下，都不會後悔正在做的事情，哪怕是痛苦但有意義的。

一次又一次，在人生的十字路口上，聆聽自己內心的聲音，不做別人認為你該做的事，哪怕這條路上只有我自己，也甘之如飴。因為，每一次新的體悟，都會帶來新的價值觀，新的價值觀會幫助你做好下一個選擇，持續循環。

高中時因為數學好，所以選擇了理組，自然而然地在大學進入理工科。然而，Robert T. Kiyosaki 的著作《窮爸爸與富爸爸》，開啟了我全新的視野：透過被動收入增加人生選擇權，了解理財是「每個人」不可避免的課題；越早讓資金、經驗、知識開始複利，用長期的思維去理解，先把一些 Must Do List 做完，慢慢貼近想做的事情。

於是，我產生了新的價值觀，這個價值觀帶我走上了一條全然不同的路：在台大電資學院畢業後，多數同學走進台積電，我毅然決然地走向了金融領域，花了 15 年去實踐自己的選擇。

在 14-15 年交易與投資生涯中，我試著用不同的角度去切入市場，曾在台灣經歷過證券研究員，紐約 T3 Trading 擔任策略交易員、KGI 證券自營部擔任衍生性商品交易員，隨後加入新創圈，兼任 FinTech 新創 TRUBUZZ 投資部負責人，同時自行經營投資事業。

我用大數據的分析去處理量化交易，以數學去計算每一筆交易的期望值，善於掌握市場情緒去找到賺錢的機會，也學習總體經濟與產業分析去了解由上而下的脈絡，並同時透過由下而上的投資思路去推演公司的商業價值，更用新創的思維去理解受市場喜愛的產品，與作為一個創業者需要具備的能力。我找到我熱愛的事情，以做為一個通才為樂趣，學習用不同的視角去看待同一個市場。

巴菲特的合夥人查理．蒙格 (Charles T. Munger) 曾說：「當你會同時用不同框架來思考，或是集合不同領域的專業時，你的能力會有加乘效應，合起來比個別領域相加還高，這稱之為魯拉帕路薩效應。」我相信只要在不同人生階段都用心投入，基於不同的選擇，最後會造就出與眾不同的能力。

在金融市場的教育下，坦然接受事情的不可控制性，包容各種的不可預測性，在每一個看似相似實則不同的職涯中去學習新的視野，也從每一次的市場興衰去體會人生的下坡路怎麼走。

然而，生活的變故帶來了新的價值觀。

2019年，我待了 3 年的新創公司，創辦人心肌梗塞驟然離世。作為他身邊最親近的人，也是最後一個看到他的人，我不得不重新思索人生的先後順序，也需要重新探索自己。

我花了 2 年半的時間全力經營自己的事業，也認識許多厲害的創業者。同時，也在這段時間涉略各式各樣的書籍，從知名企業家的傳記、人類的歷史探索、心理學的奧妙，到老子與聖嚴法師的價值觀、房地產建設的產業研究等。與此同時，經營社群媒體、參與個人創業投資、擔任新興金融科技的顧問。

在這過程中，我重新找到自己認同的價值：只要你身邊的人因為你而更好，你就會快樂。有什麼是比真心的快樂更重要的事呢？拋下人類喜歡證明自己的習慣，專注在幫助別人的過程，於是我來到 AppWorks，用另一個角度參與新創圈。我花了十幾年找到之於自己的 PMF，就像一個創業者之於產品的熱情。我是 Dave，歡迎來 AppWorks 和我聊聊。

Who I am is determined by my values and connection to the world.

My Core Values

The trajectory of my life has been led along by these quotes from Steve Jobs.

• Don’t limit your boundaries, always keep an open mind to the world.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

• Find something you truly love, this is where you’ll shine.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” 

• In our limited lifetime, there are abundant things to experience.

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.”

Starting from these three core values, my life experience begins with continuous experimentation, hard work, and comprehension.

My Connection to the World

Maybe I have been rebellious and free-spirited since I was a child. I don’t take the path that most people seem to take, maybe because of my curiosity about the world. I am eager to experience as much as possible, absorbing emotions I have never experienced before, to learn new things that I like, and to touch upon the vast knowledge of this world, which is big enough to accommodate all kinds of unusual things. Because life is short and unexpected, I wish to do something even if it is painful, as long as I don’t have any regrets.

Again and again, when standing at a crossroad in my life, I’ll always listen to my inner voice and not follow the path others suggest I take. I would gladly endure even though there is no one else on the same journey, because the new comprehension will bring me new core values and fresh outlook on life, it would help me make good decisions for my next journey.

Since I am proficient at mathematics, I chose to enter science group in high school and naturally ended up in the science & engineering department in college. However, the values of the book, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki opened up a new level of thinking when I was a student. To increase life choices through passive income, and understanding that financial management is an inevitable lesson in everyone’s life; the sooner you let your finances, experience, and knowledge compound and accumulate, and using long-term thinking to understand that there are some must-do things in life to accomplish first, then you can gradually move closer to what you want to do.

As a result, I formed new values that led me to a completely different path. After graduating from National Taiwan University with a degree in the Electronics Engineering department, most of my classmates went into TSMC. I took a completely different path and decided to pursue finance and spent fifteen years practicing it in the industry.

In the 15 years of my trading and investment career, I tried to cut into the market from different angles. I have experience as a security researcher in Taiwan, a strategy trader in T3 Trading in New York, a derivatives trader in KGI Securities Proprietary Department, then served as the head of the investment department of FinTech startup TRUBUZZ, and also operated my own investment business.

I leverage big data analysis to conduct quantitative strategic trading, and calculate the expected value of each trade. It helps me capture market sentiment to find opportunities for profit. I also study macroeconomics and industry analysis to adopt a top-down approach. I deduce the business value of a company through bottom-up value investing research, and use innovative thinking to understand which products are loved by the market, and the capabilities that an entrepreneur needs to have to succeed. I found what I love, and I take pleasure in being a polymath, constantly learning to view the market from a different perspective.

Buffett’s partner, Charlie Munger once said: “If you are able to think from different frameworks, or gather specialties from different fields, your abilities will have a multiplier effect, which will be better than the sum of individual field. This is called ‘Lollapalooza Effect’ “ I believe that as long as you put your head and heart into different life stages and try hard to learn something from it, you will eventually cultivate a unique ability.

After being trained in the financial markets for years, I can calmly accept that life is uncontrollable, and tolerate all kinds of unpredictability. Explore new horizons in every career that look similar but are actually different, and learn how to rebound  from every market downturn.

Yet a realization brought me new values.

I was working in a startup for three years when our founder suddenly died from a heart attack. It gave me a whole new perspective on life watching someone very close to me ending their life without any warning. After that, I decided to spend two and a half years running my own business, finding ways to meet many great founders, and also exploring more about myself. I love to read, so during this period I read a variety of books. From biographies of well-known entrepreneurs to historical explorations of humanity and the secrets of psychology, from the values of Lao Tzu and Master Sheng Yan. Meanwhile, I was managing my own financial page on social media, pursued venture capital investments in real estate, and served as a consultant for a fintech company.

During this time, I was able to discover more of my life’s purpose and values. As long as the people around you are better because of you, you will be happy. What is more important than genuine happiness? Leave the human habit of proving yourself behind and focus on the process of helping others. So I joined AppWorks to participate in the startup industry from another perspective. It took me more than ten years to find my product-market-fit, just like an entrepreneur’s passion for their product. I’m Dave, please feel free to talk to me and I’ll be happy to listen.